Slave to the True Death
by AkumaKami64
Summary: Junior wasn't born a normal reaper. And from the moment Mandy held him in her arms, she knew that. After all, he was her Master. The afterlives now face a Mandy that is leashed by her Son, the True Death. AU, Wise/Mature Junior but not overpowered. Possible Harem.
1. Chapter 1

Slave to the True Death

Disclaimer: I Don't Own Grim Tales. If I did, this would be on the SNAFU website.

Summary: Junior wasn't born a normal reaper. And from the moment Mandy held him in her arms, she knew that. After all, he was her Master. The afterlives now face a Mandy that is leashed by her Son, the True Death. AU, Wise/Mature Junior but not overpowered.

Regular speak

_Thoughts and Emotions talking to person outside mind_

_Demonic or Animalistic Speak_

_**Demonic or Animalistic Thoughts**_

Mandy sat on her throne in Castle Grimskull, the Scythe of Death resting behind her readily, looking all the part of a Queen of Death save two things. On her neck was a metal collar with a small chain length dangling from it, ending right above her cleavage. The second thing was the skeletal child on her lap, sleeping against her peacefully.

The child may seem ordinary by underworld standards, but like his mother, he was not what he seemed. His mother had enslaved Grim Senior when she was eleven. Grim Junior had enslaved his mother since the moment he was unborn. Mandy didn't know what happened really, she just knew from the moment she looked into his sockets, he was her master and she his slave.

It was odd at first, this belief that should be foreign to her mind, one so accustomed to imposing her will on others. Yet, nothing about it felt wrong. If she wasn't aware enough to know that the idea of a baby being her master was so bizarre, she wouldn't have paid it any mind. But Mandy was very self-aware. And so was the newborn reaper.

For the first few weeks, though she had never once let Grim Junior leave her sight, she had actually been fearful and worried for once in her now-immortal life. Afraid that something had happened to change her...infect her; an attempt of an enemy to control her that had been partially ruined, possibly by her pregnancy, or a magic-inflicted injury that had unforeseen consequences, or anything else. Mandy had learned that when she was genuinely scared, she could be very imaginative.

Yet, she had gone to all kinds of specialists in the Underworld: psychiatrists, physicians, even shamans and witch doctors. She had been mindful to keep vague what seemed wrong with her own mind, only explaining it was related to the new Prince. And of that group, the only ones who thought anything was wrong with her were the psychiatrists, but what they said was wrong with her had nothing to do with Grim Junior. Though, some of the doctors did say the feeling could just be motherhood setting in, and the shamans and witch doctors speculated it might be because Junior was turned into a reaper- most reapers will reap any aborted or stillborn babe they can find if they want a child of their own. Very few had interactions with their birth parents.

Eventually, she just accepted it...she was her son's slave...

Surprisingly to everyone else, but not to her, Junior was a very calm infant. He rarely cried or whined for anything, but he did grin and laugh a good deal. And he almost seemed to understand what everyone said to him. Grim passed it off as a bit of Mandy being inherited into his new heir. After all, Mandy was always too smart for her own good as a child. It didn't surprise him Junior got something from her.

Oddly enough, Mandy could sense Junior on a mental level. She knew he was well beyond a baby in mind, but he didn't want her to do anything that would make her seem less in the eyes of the underworld; quite the opposite in fact. He wanted her to retain a fierce reputation in the Underworld as the Bitch Queen. A year later, she had grown pregnant, by Nergal Junior, with a daughter, MiniMandy, or Minnie as she would be called. Junior, nearing age two at the time, seemed curious of that development, but didn't pry into her reasoning for doing that.

When Minnie was about to be born, Junior gave her the first order he had ever given her and it was the most shocking order he could have given her. Reap Grim Senior and take his place as Death. He didn't say when, knowing she couldn't do it while so late into pregnancy. She waited a year to do it and Junior never once pushed her. They were immortals, time was not an issue; but she did it all the same. The shock on Grim's skull was priceless. The last thing the old Reaper saw as he fell to the floor was his two year old son in the door way, smiling sadly at him. Junior said his first word that day, "Sorry."

From that day forth, Mandy acted as the Grim Reaper and was even more feared now. The Human Incarnation of Evil, wielding the Scythe of Death...it was enough to make any lord or lady think twice before crossing her. But it quickly became obvious to the afterlives that something had changed in Mandy. Her actions at times showed a subtle change in mental behavior. Mandy as a Queen had always been calculative and cold, but quick and decisive, like a dog ready to snap its jaw at any close to it.

When Junior was five, their suspicions were confirmed. The collar and chain appeared around her neck. Mandy didn't know how it got there and neither did Junior. In truth, it always had been there metaphorically. Mandy just assumed Junior's growing powers made it physical. The appearance of the object, however, was proof to everyone that Mandy had a Master…something that worried many of them.

This is what brings us to the present, with a six year old Junior waking up in his mother's arms silently, bringing his hand up to fondle the small length of chain on her collar, "Something troubling you, Mother?" He asked calmly yet knowingly.

"The other rulers now realize that someone else controls me, Master. I worry that they may attempt an attack on you if they learn the truthl" She explained evenly.

"Your concern is appreciated, Mother, but not needed. Ending my unlife is a task unto itself, let alone getting past your defenses to try such a thing," Junior assured with a small smile, as if to comfort her while he kept playing with the chain, "Besides, you have other things to worry about. The Lords and Ladies of the Underworld, and the other realms, may know you have a master, but that doesn't make you any less dangerous in their eyes. At least, not the smart ones anyway," He advised.

"You are correct, Master. And HIM continues to be a thorn in our sides with many attempts to infiltrate and spy on the castle," Mandy mused, "But he causes very little actual unrest amongst our lands."

"He's too smart for that. So long as we can't prove anything was done by him, intentional or not, we'd be in wrong in the eyes of the council and most of the other lords if we struck him," Junior pointed out.

"I don't care for their opinions or approval, Master," She said evenly.

"I know you're fearless, Mother, so quiet that anger of yours," Junior ordered calmly, "But making enemies needlessly is foolishness, and you have made many enemies before my birth. You and my father."

"Then what are you suggesting, Master?" She asked curiously.

"I am not ordering you to patch up or make amends with anyone, least of all Kare," Junior said in mild disgust before sighing, "All I'm ordering of you is to gain allies and more followers where you can, Mother," He ordered evenly before sitting up and turning to stare her in the eyes, "And I'm ordering you not to change your attitude. While you can be a bit antagonistic, your iron will has been the backbone of this empire even before my unbirth," He added on, a bit praisingly.

"What of you, Master?" She asked curiously, "Do you not wish to make it known that you are my master still?"

"No. You having an unknown master puts a bit of mystery to us that will make the other rulers worry over who or what could make you subservient in any way, especially after you reaped the former Grim Reaper. And if they found out you were a slave, I imagine they'd be even more scared," Junior answered with a smile as he got off his mother's lap, "Don't worry though, I have my own ways of helping," He added cryptically, "You have your orders," He prompted lightly as he headed out.

"Yes, My Master," Mandy answered obediently and submissively to his back, grabbing the scythe behind her as she stood to leave as well, to carry out her Master's will.

"Brothar!" MiniMandy, five years old, called as she raced up to him and hugged him tightly, "I missed you!" She said with a wide, toothy smile up at what was probably her favorite person in the whole underworld.

Junior just smiled down at his sister, slightly smaller than himself, and rubbed her head affectionately, "I missed you too, Minnie," He returned kindly as she released him from her embrace. Since his mother was busy with his orders and being Queen in general, he had taken it upon himself to watch after Minnie. He figured that she needed something of a regular family member to interact with, and Nergal Junior wasn't around enough for that. So, that left him.

"Can we go play now?" She asked innocently and hopefully, "Please?" She all but begged.

Junior just chuckled, "You don't need to beg me, Minnie," He informed her, amused. "What do you want to play?"

"Can we play pretend? Can I be the queen?" She asked, tilting her head up at him. Junior stiffened slightly, unnoticed to her. While her request was fairly typical of a girl her age, there was an issue. Due to the Master-Slave relationship between him and Mandy, Minnie sometimes pretended she was his slave, thinking it was completely normal. It wasn't, even by Underworld standards. Well, it was very uncommon at the least.

"Again? But we already played that so many times!" He countered, grinning all the same.

"But I like playing pretend...," She whined with a pout, "Please, Mastar?" She asked, too young to know really what her words meant.

Junior mentally sighed. He was really going to have to get it in Minnie's head that this wasn't normal one day. Not that he was against it, per-say, but Minnie was his sister. He wasn't going to take advantage of her like that just because he was born with a fully mature mind. Still, he could humor her for now, "Sure, Queen Minnie," He relented with a small smile.

"Yah! Brothar is My Mastar!" Minnie cheered, practically leaping for joy, before gaining a pout, "I just wish I was big enough so you could sit on my lap like you do Mommy's," She complained lightly.

Junior sweat-dropped at the strange complaint, but rubbed her head reassuringly, "Don't worry, Mins. I'm sure you'll be as beautiful as Mom is when you grow up," He commented with a boyish grin.

"Mastar doesn't think I'm bea...beoo...pretty yet?" Minnie asked, her young tongue tripping over some of the sounds.

"No, I think you're a cute little baby Princess right now," He answered, teasing and complimenting at the same time.

Minnie crossed her arm in a huff, "Mastar is mean to his queen...I am not a baby," She grumbled childishly, to Junior's amusement.

"Now, if I'm your master, you should be a bit nicer than that," He pointed out with no real intent of enforcing it.

"And Mastar needs to treat his queen right!" She countered, pointing an accusing finger at him, "Even if you are my Mastar, you shouldn't call your queen a baby...or princess...or little!" She ranted.

"Minnie, the more you pout and puff your red cheeks, the cuter you look," He retorted simply, seemingly ignoring her argument.

"Just wait, Brothar! When I get oldar, I'm going to get big, and pretty, and strong, and then you'll have to be a good Mastar to me!" She declared, puffing her head out dramatically. In retort, Junior just brought her into a hug, surprising her. She looked up in confusion at Junior's gentle smile, "Brothar?"

"I'll be good to you even I'm not your master," He assured gently.

"Brothar...," She whispered before grinning, "You're so weird sometimes," She finished with a giggle, ruining the little moment

"Oh, and you call me bad for calling you a baby? You're calling your Master weird!" He argued playfully.

"Only because you are!" She retorted, sticking out her tongue.

"Minnie, you do know most people get in trouble for talking to their masters like that, right?" He asked curiously. Minnie was a smart girl; he sometimes had to gauge her knowledge just to see what she did understand about his situation with Mandy. He wouldn't be surprised if she figured out how weird it was before she was ten.

"Yeah, but you're not really my mastar," She pointed out, almost sounding a bit sad about that.

"Sorry, I guess...but I don't plan on making that a reality for many years, Minnie," He apologized, scratching the back of his skull.

"Reality?" She asked, having never heard this term yet.

"Reality is a word for 'What is real'," He supplied as she made a noise of understanding.

"Okay...Brothar, can we play something else?" She asked, suddenly not wanting to play it. Her brother was so weird when they talked about him being her master.

"Sure. Want to play go fish?" He tried, getting a silent nod. He sighed as they headed to his room, hating his own maturity at times. It made relating with Minnie hard on occasion. Especially with him trying to NOT push her down the path of becoming his slave.

Mandy hummed as she paced the balcony of her royal bedroom, waiting for a certain someone to arrive. She had been doing as her master had ordered, making plans to conquer or ally with smaller realms throughout the underworld. Such things took planning, investigating, and a bit of underhandedness at times.

"Long time…no see, Mandy," A familiar voice greeted. Mandy turned and saw a demon she hadn't seen in a while. Nergal...Senior, that is. He stood there in his usual dark demon-skin and black suit, grinning a bit as he eyed her curiously, "And I see the rumors are true," He commented, seeing the collar on her neck.

"Indeed they are, Nergal. But that's not why either of us are here," Mandy pointed out evenly, having set the barriers and defenses to let Nergal's specific energy signature into the castle without raising an alarm.

"True. You're here to try and get a solid alliance out of me," Nergal commented wisely and knowingly. The Nergalings and other races of his own realm, while not officially affiliated with Mandy or anyone, often worked for lesser lands before Mandy took over the Lands of Grim. After she had, well, Mandy had been a hired gun too; she knew how to speak their language.

Mandy just nodded, not bothering to ask how he knew or guessed that, "And you're here on Nergal Junior's behalf. He's been trying to get Minnie to stay with him ever since this collar appeared on my neck," Mandy commented.

"I couldn't blame him, really. He is very concerned, knowing that someone else controls you, and therefore the fate of his only child," Nergal retorted, stroking his chin.

"Yet you're not concerned at all for your granddaughter," Mandy accused, picking up not a trace of worry in the old demon's voice.

"I was until I got here," He explained, getting a raised eyebrow, "You see, Mandy, I'm an old, old demon. Far older than my son may ever grow to be. And in that time, all nine of my senses have grown beyond most levels. In your case, I can sense the source of that collar on you," He elaborated with a smirk.

"If you lay a hand on him, I will make you beg to die," She snapped, cold and calm as she gripped the scythe tightly.

"Calm yourself, Reaper-Queen," He said with a small laugh, holding up his hands in surrender, "I have no plan on revealing that little secret, even to my son. I am curious as to what Junior really is though...but I doubt he'd tell you yet," He assured as she glared, "Still, I'm comfortable entrusting Minnie to you and him. As for a true alliance with my lands? Well, we'd need something in return. Or, at least, the promise of something from your Master," He said with a smirk.

"And what is that, Nergal?" Mandy asked curiously.

"If you can bring me the weapon Sharur, you'll have my allegiance, Queen of the Underworld," Nergal promised simply.

"Oh? And what is so important about this weapon?" Mandy asked suspiciously.

Nergal smirked at that, "Ask your Master. If I'm right about him, he'll know exactly why I want that weapon. Until then, ta-ta," He answered mischievously, disappearing in a flash of electricity, vanishing from sight.

Mandy hummed at that, mentally marking down Nergal's allegiance as a 'maybe' for now. She was very aware that her Master could sense this as well; the link was odd like that. They couldn't hear each other's thoughts or speak mentally, but they could sense each other's emotions. And Mandy had no doubt Junior sensed Nergal's arrival.

"Well, looks like I will be finding out about what you really are, Master," She mused to herself, personally pleased with that. She may not mind being his slave, it felt too natural in her mind for her to be upset, but she was annoyed at the lack of explanation. Hell, she could accept virtually any answer at this point, just something to make her wonder on the subject a bit less.

She turned back into her room and turned on the video feed to her master's room. She watched as he and his sister played a game of cards on his bed. She shrugged, deciding to inform him later rather than cut his time with Minnie short. With a hum, she turned to the shelf of her private collection of books. Several of which had very detailed maps of the underworld. If she was going to find allies and future subjects, she needed to know where to look.

**Meanwhile**

"Brothar, I'm bored," Minnie said bluntly after the third round of go fish.

"What do you want me to do, read you a story?" He asked sarcastically.

"What kind of story, Brothar?" She asked curiously, making him blink. He idly put all the cards back into a deck as he looked thoughtful, Minnie watching on expectantly.

"Hmmm, I guess it couldn't hurt," He mused to himself before smiling at her, "Long ago, between a land of two great rivers, there laid the great city of Durgishimmar." He began as she listened attentively, hanging on his every word, "It was a grand city with grand walls, wells of sweet water, a pure river, and shimmering canal. There lived a young shepherd, and the shepherd was a great man in the city, respected by all. One day, he fell in love with the young maiden, who was the daughter of two farmers. She was one of the most beautiful in the lands. He tried to court her by the riverside, but the maiden's mother warned her of the shepherd and she turned him away. Sadden but determined, the shepherd went on a ride down the river to clear his thought. By chance or fate, he and the maiden crossed paths again on the river. The maiden was unable to resist him a second time. They shared a boat ride down the river, and more than a few kisses," He narrated.

"Is there a dragon in this story, Brothar?" Minnie asked suspiciously.

Junior just shook his head in amusement and continued, "The lords and ladies of the land accused the shepherd of corrupting the maiden, for she was young. They banished him from the city, to a place called Kigal. The maiden followed him, however. The shepherd knew she came, but didn't know why. He disguised himself three times- once as a guard at the city gates, again as a fisherman by a river near the mountains, and lastly as a ferryman. After the third time, the shepherd knew the maiden still loved him. Revealing himself to her, they kissed and were never apart again. For no matter where they went, their hearts were as one," Junior finished, blinking as he saw a starry eyed Minnie.

"Brothar, that was amazing!" She cheered, clapping to show her love for the story, "Did they ever go back to...Dur-Gish-Im-Mar?" She asked slowly at the long and odd name.

Junior chuckled, "Yes, they did, Minnie…for a while, at least. Everyone left the city eventually, for a better one," He answered vaguely.

"And Canals? Aren't those rivers that are made by people?" She asked curiously.

_'So bright and filled with so many questions,'_ Junior thought, amused, "Yes, that's right Minnie. A boat ride around town, not something you can say just anywhere," He joked lightly.

"What was Kigal like?" Minnie asked curiously, making him blink, "You said what Dur…gish was like, but not Kigal," She added on.

Junior grinned playfully at that question, "That's a secret, Minnie," He answered, making her whine.

"Ahh, but Brothar!" She complained childishly.

"No buts, Minnie. Isn't it about time for you to go to bed anyway?" He asked knowingly.

"I don't...," She paused to yawn loudly, "need no nap...," She protested. Unknown to her, young Nergalings slept more often than humans due to their growing demonic powers. As Minnie was only a quarter Nergal, she only needed one two hour nap every day, besides sleeping at night.

"Fine, if you want to call me Master, than here's an order. Stop fighting so I can put you to bed," He ordered lightly but a bit sternly.

Minnie pouted as her eyes dosed off, "Fine, Mastar...can I sleep...here...?" She asked, struggling to stay awake before passing out and flopping down on the bed.

"Yep, you're still a baby, Minnie. You're still a baby Nergaling until you don't have these mid-day naps," Junior said to his now snoozing sister. He hummed a little tune as he got off the bed and pulled down the covers as Minnie's body floated a bit above the bed and to the pillows. Junior covered her up as she descended down to the soft mattress. With a smile, he kissed her temple, "Sleep tight, Sis. I got work to do anyway," He said with a grin as she snuggled into the pillow. He'd rather not get Minnie involved in his messy business until she was a bit older. She was a child, in body and mind. Him? No...a child was the last thing he was, really, "Now, where'd I put that Jam Cup?" He asked himself as he looked around his room...

**End of Chapter**

Well, that's the first one down. Hope you all enjoyed this. And now, there won't be anything on the highly perverted side in regards to Mandy benig Junior's slave, yet. It'll come people. And for all those wondering, this Minnie is five, therefore pre-Helga, and she has not picked old "Olde English" speak yet. And no people, she doesn't yet fully get that what being a slave means. Again, she's five and still a bit innocent. And yes, she has a small lisp, saying many '-er' sounds as '-ar'

As for Mandy, she's still a bitch, but she's a bitch on a leash now. She follows Junior's orders but really...well, like the chapter said, Junior wants her to keep a feirce reputation, not turn her into a pushover or something. And yes, he did order her to kill Grim Senior. Sorry fans.

And for the record, there is a reason Nergal wants that weapon and there is a reason Junior old Minnie that story.

QTP: What is Junior, really? How did he enslave his mother? Will she get free and does she even want to? Why did Junior tell Minnie that specific story? Why is Kigal a secret? Why does Nergal Senior want this Sharur weapon? What does he know, or think he knows, about Grim Junior? Why did Junior order Mandy to kill his father and take his place? Will Mandy be able to get many allies? What powers do Junior have? Will Minnie become Junior's slave as well? What is Junior's goal? And why is he looking for a 'Jam Cup'?


	2. Chapter 2

Slave to the True Death

Disclaimer: I Don't Own Grim Tales. If I did, this would be on the SNAFU website.

**Lord Razer**- Glad you like it. Hope it remains interesting.

**bubbajack**- Well, I hope you stay hungry for this fic!

**Cf96**- Thanks.

**nightmaster000**- Yeah, Killing off Grim was kind of a requirement for this fic to work how I want it to. Sad, but true. May the old bastard of a skeleton rest in peace!

**Kenju**- (grins wickedly) Glad you approve. And thank you for giving me the motivation to publish this peice or it might have never seen the light of day. But yes, I have a thing for BDSM fics, and that includes devoted/willing slaves. The key to writing a good slave is making it believable. Unless it's a role playing, or 'real world persona is a mask' scenario, than the slave's personality should be similar to the their regular/free personality.

As for doing the impossbile? Kenju, I do that on a regular basis- I'm the guy who writes the shit that hasn't been done.

Onto Nergal's personality, that's how he's suppose to seem. Why? Because that's how I picture the Nergal of Mythology, which is where Sharur comes from- as someone pointed out, it's his brother's weapon. As for the story, you'll probably figure it out eventually. As for the Jam Cup? Just read, you'll understand.

**The Guest**- Oh, so I'm not the only one who researhes mythologies! Figures its the anonymous reviewer though.

**detrametal**- It's what I do. Hope you enjoy this and the rest of my works.

**eternal nothingness**- Thanks!

Regular speak

_Thoughts and Emotions talking to person outside mind_

**Demonic or Animalistic speak**

_**Demonic or Animalistic Thoughts**_

Beta: Dragon Wizard 91

"So, what did Nergal want?" Junior asked knowingly as he entered his mother's bedroom, seeing her looking over a map while sitting on her royal bed.

Mandy didn't react to his entry or his sudden question. It was a fairly normal occurrence at this point, "Good afternoon to you too, Master," She said evenly and dryly as she glanced up at him, raising an eyebrow at a small wooden bowl in his right hand, "Nergal agreed to an alliance but only if you get him a weapon. He also knows that you are my Master and seems to have an idea about WHAT you are," Mandy answered dutifully.

"Ahh, he wants Sharur then?" Junior guessed, rubbing his bone chin, almost as if he expected this.

"...Are you a reincarnated god or something, Master?" Mandy questioned, sounding a bit annoyed at the prospect.

"No, Mother, this is my first life, undead or not, I assure you," Junior answered uncaringly as he moved to sit by his slave and mother, looking at the map she was holding, "Can't decide on whether or not to conquer the Deserts of Duat?" He asked, recognizing the map enough to know what it was.

"Yes, Osiris has been rather silent on my presence in the underworld, as have most of the Egyptians," Mandy answered with a hum, "Master, what's so important about this Sharur weapon?" She added idly.

"It belonged to his brother, Ninurta." Junior explained simply, still looking over the map intently.

"Brother?" Mandy asked, actually looking a bit surprised. She hadn't known Nergal had any siblings. With how the demon wanted friendship and family, it seemed odd that he had any relatives.

"Nergal is a god, of sorts. I'm sure you looked him up a few times. Humans get a lot of things wrong about other realms, Mother, but the general ideas are usually right in some way or another," Junior answered, waving off her confusion, "And don't worry about Osiris, Ra and Isis are the real big issues amongst those guys. Still, they won't mind us taking the edge of the desert as long as we stop about a quarter way through, so the hidden temples, cities, and the like remain undisturbed," Junior explained. Duat was one of the physically largest realms of the afterlives. The outer rim was a harsh desert that had a lot of tribes and resources hidden in it. However, the Egyptian gods mostly only cared about what lied past the outer rim desert. It was more fertile and more like a paradise closer to the middle, much like Egypt on the Nile in ancient times, when the river was the only source of life in the unforgiving sands.

"So, Desert Storm is a go?" Mandy quipped with a small smirk.

"That was a horrible joke...and yes, yes it is," Junior answered, shaking his head in amusement.

"So, where is this Sharur than, Master?" Mandy asked curiously.

"That's the tricky part. The weapon has a mind of its own and can turn into a winged lion. Meaning it can go anywhere it wants, or is told to," Junior answered as he held up his wooden bowl, "Good thing I brought my Jam Cup," He said with a smirk as he held it proudly.

"Jam cup?" She questioned with a raised eyebrow as Junior crossed his legs and sat the bowl on his lap.

"I need your hand and a knife," Junior said without giving an answer.

Mandy, knowing where this was going, nodded as she leaned over to pull a knife from under her mattress. Without pause or worry, she slashed her palm before holding it over the bowl, "So, why blood, in this case Master?" She asked, wondering what this thing was.

"This is the Cup of Jamshid, a scrying device used by Persian rulers in the distant past," He answered as he rolled the blood in the bowl from side to side.

"...Might I ask how you came across such a thing, Master?" Mandy asked, looking at the object in interest now.

"No, you may not," Junior said simply.

Mandy just nodded at the rebuke, "Apologies for prying, Master," She said solemnly, bowing her head towards the child skeleton in apology.

Junior chuckled as he patted her head in forgiveness, "You don't need to apologize, Mother. There are just a lot of things I won't explain for a while," He explained, "As for why blood? They say it needs the elixir of immortality to work, and that is correct. However, some things work as a substitute. Like the blood of a mortal that the Grim Reaper granted immortality to," Junior explained as he tilted the bowl back and forth to stir the blood.

"The fact that I'm the acting Grim Reaper now doesn't affect that, Master?" Mandy questioned, expecting that to be an issue.

"No. You're not a real reaper, even if you hold the scythe," Junior explained, making a face as he stared into the bowl, "The down side of this is that blood doesn't flow as easily as water, so the image is tinted and not as clear," He commented to himself.

"Would urine work better?" Mandy asked with a straight face.

"The worst part is that it probably would," Junior answered, smirking as the image started to form, "Now, where is that old smasher?" he asked himself, leaning to the side a bit so his mother could look into it as well.

"Is that...Aku city?" Mandy asked, seeing what looked like buildings with sharp and jagged edges.

"I don't think so. If it was underwater, I'd think it was R'lyeh ...Hmmm, didn't Aku start constructing another city before I was born?" Junior asked, looking to his mother for confirmation.

"Hmmmm, I do recall something like that. If I remember correctly, he abandoned it for some reason after he "woke something up that was too annoying to deal with" in his own words. I never paid it much mind because it was on the complete other side of the Underworld," Mandy commented, looking thoughtful, "I'll have to look into that, Master."

"See that you do," Junior ordered before looking thoughtful. He shrugged before lifting the blood-filled cup to his mouth and drinking its contents, getting a blank stare from his mother, "What? I had to do something with the blood and I know how hard blood is to get out of the carpets and sheets," He explained, licking his teeth for a moment, "Besides, your blood tastes sweet...that sounded less perverted in my head," He added, sounding amused at the end.

"I'm sure it did, Master." Mandy said, suppressing a smirk, "So, should I make the weapon a priority, Master?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No, take care of the deserts first. Nergal didn't put a time stamp on that deal of his, just a requirement. Besides, you might find some of those old flying boats in Duat, or who knows what else," Junior answered as he kicked himself off the bed, "Also, if you run into Seth? Go for it," He added as he headed to the door.

"Master?" Mandy asked, confused.

"You'll know what I mean when you meet him," Junior answered wryly as he left the room, closing the door behind him.

"...It's times like this I really doubt he hasn't had a past life," Mandy said evenly as she looked back at her map, a few dozen battle plans racing through her mind.

**Meanwhile**

Lord Pain, also known as Charles, watched as Grim Junior made his way from his mother's room. Lord Pain had known there was something odd about Junior from the moment he saw him, years ago. At first, he thought Junior was just intelligent from taking after his mother, like Grim Senior had thought. But there was also something weird about the way his mistress acted, looking at the infant skeleton like it had spoken or arching an eyebrow randomly.

Then, for no apparent reason, Mandy had struck down the King of the Underworld. It had shocked Pain, the suddenness of it, how out of character it was for Mandy. Nothing significant had happened prior to that that would warrant her disposing of the Grim Reaper and taking his place. Then the collar appeared and it became clear the great Mandy was naught but a servant to another force. And it didn't take long for Pain to realize who her Master was.

"Just say it Pain, I'd rather not have you staring at me with that confused and conflicted look of yours for another five years," Junior said evenly as he stood beside Pain. They were both facing opposite directions and neither moved to look at the other.

"Forgive me, young Master, but you still confuse me," Charles said in deflection.

_"Charles," _Junior said in annoyance.

The guard captain paused before sighing, "Why exactly did you have Lord Grim killed?" He asked, curious and confused. They never told him that Junior gave the order. They didn't need to.

"I couldn't allow a False Death to reign any longer," Junior answered with a sigh, "Please don't do anything stupid. Mother's grown accustomed to you working for her and Minnie would miss you," Junior requested before walking off.

"...Young Master, you are an odder child than your mother ever was," Charles muttered to himself as he headed off as well, still confused.

Within her room, Mandy released her grip on her scythe as she heard her captain and her master part ways. She had been wary of everyone under her command for a while after she accepted that she was Junior's slave. Wary in case they decided to turn against her because she had a master now. Or worse, attack her Master in a misguided attempt to free her. She'd kill anyone that harmed her master, slowly.

She had been...cautious the first time she left him alone to deal with things in the empire, but...her master had proven he was more than capable of surviving without her around for a bit. She knew not what her master was, really, but didn't care in the end. If he deemed her unworthy of that knowledge, as curious as she was, she'd accept it. Still, that order earlier regarding Seth was confusing. She shrugged, trusting his judgment for now. Besides, she might not run into the Egyptian Desert God...while conquering the desert of the Egyptian Gods...yeah, it suddenly sunk in how inevitable their meeting was, _'Still, Go for it? What does that mean?'_ Mandy wondered curiously,_ 'Maybe he's been talking to Clockwork?'_

**Meanwhile**

Cerberus growled with all three heads as he heard approaching footsteps, disturbing his nap. He instantly started whimpering and lowering his heads in defeat as he saw that it was the Master of his Mistress, "Easy boy, you're not in trouble," Junior informed calmly, patting the snout of the middle head, "Cerberus, I'm going to need your help with something," Junior informed with a small smile.

**"Vat's dat?" **The Scooby head asked curiously.

"A family reunion," Junior answered with a smirk.

**End of Chapter**

Well, there's another chapter. It's a bit short, but this felt like the right place to stop. As you can all see, Junior, while a kid, is unnaturally mature and wise. And he has plenty of plans for the future, adapting with every new situation and making it seem as if he saw it coming all along- which he might have. I actually had the conversation between him and Pain longer, but this short, vague answer felt a lot better to Junior's character than a longer explanation. Mandy, again, is still Mandy, slave or no slave. Meanwhile, Junior is already onto another plan of his that involves Cerberus while his slave-mother obeys her orders.

And yes, many, MANY mythologies will be found in this story.

**QTP**: Will Mandy conquer the Deserts of Duat? Will the Egyptian gods retaliate? Why did Aku abandon the failed city? What happened to Nergal's brother, Ninurta? How did Junior get his 'Jam Cup' and why doesn't he want Mandy to know? What did Junior mean by 'Go for it' if Mandy meets Seth? What did Junior mean by a Grim being a 'False Death', and that the Grim Reaper isn't Death? Will Charles 'do something stupid'? Has Junior been talking with Clockwork? And what is this 'family reunion' he needs Cerberus's help with?


End file.
